Types of bears. Brown bear (common) Brown bear omnivorous carnivore or herbivore
Omnivory is a way of obtaining energy and nutrients by consuming food of animal and plant origin. Animals with this diet are considered “omnivores.” Most people, with the exception of vegans, who completely exclude animal products, are also omnivores.
Meaning of the term
The word "omnivore" comes from the Latin words omnis"everything" and vora, which means "to devour or swallow" - so omnivory means "devouring everything." It's pretty precise definition, since omnivores have different food sources, including algae, plants, fungi and other animals. Some animals can be omnivores throughout their lives, while others at certain stages (for example, some sea turtles).
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of omnivory is the ability to find food in a wide variety of places and environmental conditions. For example, if it is not possible to eat a certain food, an omnivore can quite easily change its diet. Some omnivores are also scavengers, meaning they feed on dead animals or plants, which further increases their feeding capabilities.
Omnivores have to find their own food, and because they have such a varied diet, their ways of obtaining food are not as specialized as those of carnivores or herbivores. For example, carnivores have sharp teeth for tearing and capturing prey, while herbivores have flatter teeth adapted for crushing vegetation. Omnivores can have a mixture of both types of teeth (for example, our molars and incisors).
The disadvantages of omnivory can be clearly seen in the example of some species of marine organisms that are likely to invade non-native habitats. This has cascading effects on native species, which may be persecuted or displaced by invasive omnivores. An example is the Asian shore crab, native to northwestern countries Pacific Ocean. It was introduced to Europe and the USA, but the food and habitat do not correspond to it, and this animal causes significant damage to existing ones.
Examples of omnivores
Mammals
- Pig: This is probably the most famous omnivore and is currently this type is popular among people - it is contained as pet or raised for meat.
- Bear: These animals are one of the most opportunistic creatures, as they adapt perfectly to different conditions. If there is a lot of fruit in the area where they live, then bears will eat them. If instead there is a river with big amount fish, the bear will catch it all day. The panda, a member of the bear family, is also considered an omnivore, as it can supplement its bamboo diet with rodents or small birds.
The only exception is the carnivore polar bear, perhaps this is due to the lack of plant nutrition in its natural Arctic habitat. - Hedgehog: Many people think that the hedgehog eats insects and small animals, but these little creatures like to eat fruits and vegetables occasionally.
- Other omnivorous mammals: raccoons, mice, squirrels, sloths, chipmunks, skunks, chimpanzees, and, of course, humans.
Birds
- Crows: As shown in many films, they are always on the prowl for animal remains, but aside from dead carcasses, they also tend to eat vegetables when other food sources are unavailable.
- Chickens: They're the exact opposite small child, because they absorb everything. Whatever you give her, the chicken will swallow it without a second's hesitation.
- Ostriches: Although their main diet includes vegetables and plants, these animals are lovers of all kinds of insects.
- Magpies: These birds will also eat almost anything, although they tend to become food for dogs and parrots.
Marine organisms
- Many types of crabs (including blue crabs, ghost crabs and Asian shore crabs);
- Horseshoe crabs;
- Lobsters (for example, American lobster, real lobster);
- Some sea turtles are olive turtles and Australian green turtle- omnivores. Green turtles are herbivores as adults, but the hatchlings are omnivores. Loggerhead turtles become carnivores as adults, but they are omnivores when still young.
- Common Littorines - These small snails feed primarily on algae, but may also eat small animals (such as barnacle larvae).
- Some types of zooplankton;
- Sharks are generally carnivores, although whale sharks and giant sharks can be considered omnivores, since they are filter feeders and feed on plankton. As they swim through the water with their huge mouths open, the plankton they consume can include both plant and animal organisms. Mussels and barnacles can also be considered omnivores because they filter small organisms (which can contain both phytoplankton and zooplankton) from the water.
Omnivores and levels of the food chain
In the marine (and terrestrial) world there are producers and consumers. are organisms that produce their own food. These include plants, algae and some types of bacteria. Producers are at the base.
These are organisms that must consume other organisms in order to survive. All animals, including omnivores, are consumers.
IN the food chain There are trophic levels, which are the nutritional levels of animals and plants. The first trophic level includes producers because they produce food that feeds the rest of the food chain. The second trophic level includes herbivores, which feed on producers. At the third trophic level there are omnivorous and carnivorous organisms.
The bear family (Ursidae) includes the largest living animals. terrestrial predators. Most taxonomists believe that there are currently eight species of bears on Earth (they are in turn divided into many different subspecies), belonging to three different branches.
Bears are found on all continents except Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Three species of bears - spectacled, sloth and Malayan - live in the tropics, but the center of origin of the bear family is in the Northern Hemisphere. Long ago, the brown bear was also found in the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa.
Bears are predominantly inhabitants various types forests and woodlands. One species - the polar bear - inhabits arctic deserts and ice.
The most likely ancestors of modern bears were small predators, who lived 25 million years ago (subfamily Agriotheriinae). Most ancient representative of this group, Ursavus elmensis, had long tail and looked like a raccoon, but animals of a later period already resembled modern bears both in size and in appearance. This group gave rise to three modern subfamilies. The giant panda was the first to separate from the common trunk, then the real bears (Ursus and its relatives) and spectacled bears (Tremarctos) separated.
Depending on the species, the body length of a predator can vary from 1 to 3 meters, the weight of individual polar and brown bears can reach up to 1000 kg. Males are much larger than females.
Bears have a heavy, awkward build. To support large mass, their hind limbs are plantigrade (when walking, the entire sole is pressed to the ground). This also allows them to rise and stand freely on their hind legs. The structure of the front paws is different different types bears - from plantigrade to semidigital (the back of the foot is partially raised above the ground). All species have five toes on each paw, equipped with curved, non-retractable claws.
The skull of bears is massive, larger than that of other predators; facial section middle length or shortened (especially in spectacled bears). Wide molars with flat chewing surfaces and rounded fangs are well adapted for crushing and grinding plant foods. Polar bears are exclusively carnivores, which is why their teeth are sharper. Depending on the species, bears have 40-42 teeth.
Bears' fur is thick and long; The color is usually dark, monochromatic, from brown to black (as an exception, white or contrasting two-color), sometimes with a light pattern on the head and chest. The tail is very short; ears are small, round; the lips are large and very mobile.
Polar bears and most New World brown bears do not climb trees, only European browns and all other species climb trees where they feed or sleep, but most They still prefer to spend time on earth. For tree-climbing predators, bears have amazing features - their tails are too short and their facial whiskers are completely absent.
Most species of bears are non-specialized omnivores that feed on berries, nuts, shoots, rhizomes and leaves of plants, as well as meat, fish and insects. They have an excellent sense of smell, color vision And good memory, which allows them to remember places rich in food. It should be noted that bears do not digest plant food very well, since in their gastrointestinal tract there are no symbiotic microorganisms capable of decomposing fiber (these bacteria are found in the stomach of ruminants). Therefore, plant fibers and berries are excreted from the body almost undigested.
Photos and descriptions of modern bear species
Now let’s take a closer look at each of the eight species of bears.
Brown bear or common bear(Ursus arctos) – typical representative bear family; found in Russia, Canada and Alaska. Prefers to live in old forest areas, avoids wide open spaces, but can also live at an altitude of up to 5000 meters above sea level, where there are no longer forests. Habitats are usually confined to freshwater bodies of water.
The brown bear is a large animal: its body length is 1.5-2.8 m, its height at the shoulders is up to 1.5 m. Males weigh from 60 to 800 kg. The weight of adult predators varies depending on the time of year and geographic habitat. The smallest one is a pika eater from the mountains Central Asia, and the largest are Kodiak from Alaska and Kamchatka.
The photo shows a brown bear in all its glory.
Polar bear
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest of the modern representatives families. Its body length is 2-2.5 m, height at the withers is about 1.5 m, body weight is on average 350–450 kg, but there are also giants with a body weight of more than 500 kg.
Distributed on the Arctic coast of the North Arctic Ocean, in Northern Canada.
The color of the fur is pure white, often yellowish due to contamination with fat, especially in summer. The fur is thick and warm, but the main warming function is played by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.
The polar bear is the only member of the family that lives exclusively on a meat diet. He hunts young walruses, ringed seals, sea hares, beluga whales and narwhals.
The photo shows a polar bear with cubs. The female usually gives birth to two cubs once every 3 years. You can read more about polar bears in the article.
Black bear
The black bear or baribal (Ursus americanus) is found in Canada, Northern Mexico, the USA, except the central part of the Great Plains. Lives in dense forests, bushes, and also in more open areas.
Black bear sizes vary depending on geographical location and season. In the northern and eastern regions of its range, the baribal is larger. Their body length varies from 1.2 to 1.9 meters, height at the withers - from 0.7 to 1 meter.
The photo shows a black bear on a tree. The ability to climb trees is vital for baribals - here they feed and hide in case of danger.
The Himalayan or white-breasted bear (Ursus thibetanus) is found from Iran to South-East Asia, in Northern China, Primorye, Japan and Taiwan. Prefers to live in forests temperate zone, subtropics and tropics.
Body length is 1.2-1.9 meters, weight of males is 60-200 kg, females are 40-140 kg. Due to the long hair of the gi malayan bear seems much larger than it actually is. The coat is black with a white V-shaped mark on the chest, another mark is on the chin; There is a collar of long wool around the neck. Apparently, the collar plays a role in protection from predators, because this species has always coexisted next to the tiger.
The white-breasted bear is an excellent tree climber and often builds something resembling a nest by bending branches to the trunk.
The Himalayan bear is a rare, vulnerable species. For 3 thousand years now, people have been hunting it for its paws and gall bladder (dried bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine).
Lifespan Himalayan bear up to 25 years in nature and up to 37 years in captivity.
Malayan bear
The Malayan bear or biruang (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest species of bear, sometimes called the “dog bear”. Due to their small size and friendly disposition, Buriangs are often kept in captivity as pets in Asia. Their body length does not exceed 140 cm, they weigh 27-65 kilograms. Malayan bears have short, black fur with a white, orange, or dark yellow crescent-shaped chest marking.
Malayan bears are found in Southeast Asia and Eastern India. Their life is closely connected with trees, where they often sleep in specially built nests. They feed mainly on various fruits, but if such food is not enough, they switch to insects.
Malayan bears are diurnal. They breed at any time of the year, and the duration of pregnancy varies greatly (from 3 to 8 months).
In captivity, the Malayan bear can live up to 33 years.
The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) lives in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Found mainly in lowland forests and steppes.
Body length – 1.4-1.9 meters, weight – 80-190 kg. The sponge's coat is long, thick, black with a white spot on the chest. Its claws are slightly curved, its palate is wide, and its lips are elongated (this is how it got its name). These devices help the sloth fish dig up and suck up termites, which make up a significant part of its diet. And it received its generic name (Melursus) for its special love for honey: it often climbs trees and is ready to endure bee stings just to feast on honeycombs. In addition to termites, other various insects and honey, the sloth fish eats berries with pleasure.
The sloth fish has long fur, which is quite surprising for a species living in the tropical forest. Apparently, it plays the same role as the loose clothing worn by people living in hot climates.
The sloth bear is a vulnerable species. In captivity, life expectancy is up to 34 years.
Spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus) Lives in the Andes from eastern Venezuela to the border of Bolivia and Argentina. Found in a wide variety of biotypes: mountainous and humid tropical forests, alpine meadows and even in deserts.
Body length – 1.3-2.0 meters, weight – 100-200 kg. The coat is black with a creamy white bib-like marking on the chin, neck, and chest; There are white markings of various shapes around the eyes (hence the name bear).
The spectacled bear is a rather slender animal. Despite its relatively large size, it is agile and climbs trees well, where it gets food and builds resting nests from branches and twigs.
In different habitats, the diet of spectacled bears varies, but everywhere food of plant origin predominates (fruits, bamboo, cacti, etc.). They also enter fields of grain crops and corn, which greatly annoys farmers.
In captivity, the spectacled bear lives up to 39 years.
Big panda
The giant panda or bamboo bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is found in the Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu provinces of central and western China. Prefers cool, damp bamboo forests at an altitude of 1500-3400 meters above sea level.
The height of a giant panda at the withers is 70-80 cm, weight is 100-150 kg. The fur of the bamboo bear is black and white (the circles around the eyes, the area around the nose, the front and back legs and shoulders are black, everything else is white).
The diet consists primarily of bamboo; occasionally pandas eat onions various plants, cereals, insects and rodents.
In the wild, a panda usually lives up to 20 years, in captivity - up to 30 years.
Today, enormous efforts have been made to preserve the giant panda, however, despite the most stringent ban, the animals still become victims of poachers. They also fall into traps set for other animals. Read more about the giant panda.
What types of bears are the most dangerous?
Bears are often spoken of as aggressive and dangerous animals. Indeed, their strength and size allow them to easily cope with a person, but the tendency of bears to attack people is greatly exaggerated.
Only polar bears, being true predators, are perhaps the only representatives of the family that actually sometimes perceive a person as prey, while tracking him down according to all the rules of hunting. Their attacks are caused by hunger, not fear. It is polar bears that are considered the most dangerous to humans. However, not many people live near polar bears, and people, knowing who they might have to deal with, always carry weapons with them.
Brown bears are in second place in terms of danger to humans, but their aggressiveness largely depends on their geographical habitat. Grizzlies in the center of the American continent, as well as bears living in Siberia, are truly dangerous. This is especially true for mother bears who protect their cubs, or animals who defend their prey. IN eastern regions In Europe there are more aggressive individuals. But in general, all bears, like other wild animals, try not to get in the way of humans and, if possible, avoid meeting them.
American black bears, especially those that live near humans, often frighten people, but very rarely cause them any harm.
Spectacled bears are very cautious and are absolutely not aggressive towards humans, but it happens that they attack livestock.
Among Asian bears only big panda- a true vegetarian, and naturally does not pose any danger to humans.
Malayan bears are often scary local residents. If they are accidentally disturbed, they usually rear up, let out a furious roar and make a sharp lunge towards the enemy, but they rarely actually attack.
Himalayan bears and sloth bears, which often have to fight off large cats, are more likely to attack than to flee. Many people believe that sloth bears are more dangerous than tigers.
Literature: Mammals: Complete illustrated encyclopedia /Translated from English/ Book. I. Predatory, marine mammals, primates, tupayas, woolly wings. / Ed. D. MacDonald. – M: “Omega”, - 2007.
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bears are herbivores or carnivores
- omnivores!!
- Browns are omnivores. Whites are predators
- Bears are omnivores. They eat grass, berries, mushrooms, they will not refuse fish, especially meat, they put on fat - they eat everything until they are completely stupefied.
But pandas only eat bamboo, and polar bears prefer the fat of seals and seals. - predators, of course
- The bear is an omnivore like humans
- predators, but when they are hungry they can pick raspberries and chew grass =)
- 100% carnivores-predators, because they eat meat and hunt. Only carnivores can hunt and eat meat, first of all, and only then fish, mushrooms, nuts, honey, berries, grass, roots. But herbivores cannot eat meat.
- omnivorous
- omnivores
- omnivorous
- the bear is omnivorous. he eats almost everything he can eat. In the summer, plant foods predominate; most of the animal protein in a bear’s diet comes from small animals. rodents. insects. The bear rarely engages in direct hunting, especially hunting large animals, only in the absence of more accessible and less “dangerous” food
- Predators))
- Differently
- white bear, grizzly bear, spectacled bear and many other representatives of the bear family eat- berries, nuts, honey, rodents, carrion, large mammals, other plants. FROM THE ORDER THEY ARE PREDATORS. and here is a koala belonging to the family marsupial bears- herbivorous bear.
- Bears are omnivores. In principle, they eat plant food all the time, and animal food only when it comes into their paws
- Bears (lat. Ursidae) are a family of mammals of the order Carnivora. They differ from other representatives of canids in having a stockier physique. Bears are omnivores, climb and swim well, run fast, and can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. They have a short tail, long and thick fur, and excellent sense of smell and hearing. They hunt in the evening or at dawn. They are usually afraid of humans, but can be dangerous in places where they are accustomed to people, especially polar bear and a grizzly bear. Immune to bee stings. In nature natural enemies almost none.
- Anatomically they are predators. Teeth, then – s. And constantly on plant foods he can not. But in last years In many regions, bears are increasingly using plant foods. In this regard, its numbers are growing; in some places there are significantly more of them than wolves. That is, he seems to be falling off the top of the food pyramid.
To the question: Are bears herbivores or predators asked by the author? Elena Yakshigulova the best answer is Bears are omnivores. They eat grass, berries, mushrooms, they will not refuse fish, especially meat, they put on fat - they eat everything until they are completely stupefied.
But pandas only eat bamboo, and polar bears prefer the fat of seals and seals.
Answer from Anastasia[newbie]
Predators))
Answer from CupalCA[guru]
predators, of course
Answer from Artyom Kirillov[master]
omnivores!!
Answer from Anyushka Selivanova[active]
predators, but when they are hungry they can pick raspberries and chew grass =)
Answer from Anton Schaefer[newbie]
The bear is an omnivore like humans
Answer from Nastyusha Ropcea[master]
omnivores
Answer from Natasha[guru]
Bears (lat. Ursidae) are a family of mammals from the order Carnivora. They differ from other representatives of canids in having a stockier physique. Bears are omnivores, climb and swim well, run fast, and can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. They have a short tail, long and thick fur, and excellent sense of smell and hearing. They hunt in the evening or at dawn. They are usually afraid of humans, but can be dangerous in areas where they are accustomed to people, especially polar bears and grizzly bears. Immune to bee stings. In nature they have almost no natural enemies.
Answer from Marina Mirutenko[guru]
Answer from Olesya Yudintseva (Yumasheva)[newbie]
100% carnivores-predators, because they eat meat and hunt. Only carnivores can hunt and eat meat, first of all, and only then fish, mushrooms, nuts, honey, berries, grass, roots. But herbivores cannot eat meat.
Answer from Lyudmila Valentinovna[guru]
The polar bear, grizzly bear, spectacled bear and many other representatives of the bear family eat wild berries, nuts, honey, rodents, carrion, large mammals, and other plants. FROM THE ORDER THEY ARE PREDATORS. but the koala, which belongs to the marsupial bear family, is a herbivorous bear.
Answer from Iodionov Sergey[guru]
the bear is omnivorous. he eats almost everything he can eat. In the summer, plant foods predominate; most of the animal protein in a bear’s diet comes from small animals. rodents. insects. The bear engages in direct hunting, especially hunting large animals, only in the absence of more accessible and less “dangerous” food
Answer from Neuvind Storm of the Fiords[guru]
Bears are omnivores. In principle, they eat plant food all the time, and animal food only when it comes into their paws
Answer from KOMOV MIKHAIL[guru]
Browns are omnivores. Whites are predators
Answer from Alesya Benitsevich[newbie]
omnivorous
Answer from Marat Timirgalin[active]
omnivorous
Answer from Jena Slučić[newbie]
Differently
Answer from Gulnara Abulkhanova[newbie]
Anatomically they are predators. Teeth, this and that. And he cannot live on plant foods all the time. But in recent years, in many regions, bears are increasingly using plant foods. In this regard, its numbers are growing; in some places there are significantly more of them than wolves. That is, he seems to be falling off the top of the food pyramid.
Bear is beast of prey, which is the largest in the world. The length of its body reaches approximately three meters, and its mass is approximately 800. The bear has huge body, strong paws with claws, short tail, large head.
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is the first Russian writer of various poems, fairy tales, and riddles. Pushkin's poems became the main point to which the entire Russian people listened. Pushkin’s work contains many works of various genres, but he paid great attention to lyric poetry.
The Bears brown look They live in the taiga, in mountain forests and near fertile meadows near water. The fur of brown bears can be of various colors, ranging from brown to dark brown. By old age, bears turn gray and become grey. Species such as the Malayan bear, white-breasted bear, sloth bear, black bear and polar bear are very common. All these types of bears are mostly found alone, but sometimes in groups. They are active at night, but polar bears are active only during the day. Bears rest mainly in caves and pits. 
Almost all bears are omnivores. But species such as the polar bear eat only the meat of mammals. Brown bears have a varied diet, which changes due to the changing seasons. After the bear wakes up, its diet includes ants, young shoots and dead animals. The bear's diet also includes various ripe berries and even nuts. Bears eat a lot, in order to feed it they need a lot of food, which is processed into fat necessary for winter living. When the year is not productive, bears eat crops of oats, corn, and also eat domestic animals. 
Many bears lead quiet life during the whole year. Brown bears and white-breasted bears hibernate during the winter. Among polar bears, only female bears that bear cubs hibernate. The bears' den is very clean and emits a pleasant smell.